Pyramus and Thisbe
1514
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 4 11/16 x 6 5/16 in. (11.9 x 16 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1934
Accession Number
34.83
Tags
Art Historical Context
Lucas van Leyden’s 1514 engraving *Pyramus and Thisbe* captures a poignant moment from the ancient Roman tale in Ovid’s *Metamorphoses*. The young lovers, forbidden to marry, arrange a secret meeting but tragically misinterpret events, to their deaths by sword Van Leyden depicts the couple in a wooded landscape, emphasizing their sorrowful expressions and the fatal weapons that underscore themes of love, misunderstanding, and loss. As a leading Northern Renaissance printmaker, Lucas van Leyden was renowned for his intricate engraving technique, which allowed fine lines and rich tonal contrast...
About the Artist
Lucas van Leyden · 1484–1533
Lucas van Leyden (1494–1533) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who stands among the greatest engravers of the Northern Renaissance. Born in Leiden as either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, he lived and worked primarily in his native city, achieving international renown that rivaled the German master Albrecht Dürer. Lucas van Leyden revolutionized Netherlandish printmaking and was among the first...